Brand new MS261 woes.

[1Alpha1]

Okay, so today, I go out to my garage to start my MS261 for the first time (for me). I put it on full choke and after 3-4 pulls, it pops and dies. That's it, dead as a door nail.

I try again a few minutes later and nothing. I pull off the cover and pull the spark plug. It's wet and fouled. I spray it with carb cleaner and hit the cylinder with some air to dry it out.

Re-install the plug and start pulling. It fires right up, and runs fine. I run if for about 3-4 minutes and shut it off. I come back about 20 min. later, give it a few tugs and nothing.

I pull the plug again and clean it. Do the same routine as above and it fires back up on the very first pull. It runs fine and I shut if off again after a few minutes.

I go back again and give it some pulls and nothing. Long story made short. I've pulled that plug and dried out the cylinder five times. After each and every time, it fires back up on the first pull.

This is bull####! I've been around motorcycles and small engines for over 50 yrs. I have a Stihl FS-44 line trimmer that is 14.5 yrs. old, and I've owned saws in the past. I know how to run and maintain two-stroke engines.

This is not acceptable for a pro saw, or any saw, for that matter. I have a Poulan 2150 chainsaw that has never been hard to start or gave me a lick of trouble.

I'm going to continue to tinker with it over the weekend. If it doesn't improve drastically by Monday, it's going back to the Stihl dealer. :mad2:

 

[Ductape]

Cold saw..

Pull 2 to 3 pulls on full choke...... it will kick once (listen closely)

Set to half choke and pull once or twice till she fires up

You are pulling too long on full choke and flooding it

 

[MEATSAW]

Poor tuning from factory? 261s usually need some adjustment (beyond what the limiters will give you) -- if it was me I would take it back to the dealer regardless. You shouldn't have to fix or work on it yourself if its under warranty (for a stock saw). Period.

 

[Officer's Match]

Try this. From cold, engage choke, pull 3 times, disengage choke (even if you didn't hear a "pop") pull again - should start within a few pulls. If this doesn't work, I would go back to the dealer.

 

[Rokon]

Take it to the dealer and watch how "easy" it is to start. If he can't start, well you know...

 

[T0RN4D0]

There is only one proper way to start up a Stihl (goes for all of them) and it works. Mess it up and you're gonna flood it. Maybe you can get away with it in the summer and with some luck but wouldn't recommend it.


Read your manual. Im assuming the 261 isn't any different than the older versions.

1) Put in full choke (gas and witch down)
2) Crank until you hear a pop. Stop as soon as you hear it, even if its even one tiny pop.
3) Put it in high idle (one bump up from full choke)
4) Crank it, it should start in a pull or 2.
5) Blip the throttle to put it into idle (don't push the switch)

For warm start, put it into high idle. (choke and blip the throttle). If its hot its gonna fire without anything.


I love it when i see people say "i've been around 2 stroke engines for a while, this is unacceptable" ...//and then pour 2 stroke oil into the oil tank and expect the saw to make its own mix with the straight gas they poured in the gas tank ...//

 

[1Alpha1]

It seems like if I get any where near to choking it, it floods.

I just got back from trying it again. No choke, and it fired right up, then instantly died. Gave it another yank or two, and was able to get on the throttle quick enough to keep it running.

When it's running, it seems to be fine.

But, later on, I will try as some of you have suggested. Full choke for 2-3 tugs, then half-choke.

I'm sure that once I learn the routine, all will be okay.....I hope. But, I'm not a noob when it comes to two-strokes, and feel that it should not be this difficult to get it to fire up.

 

[1Alpha1]

Try this. From cold, engage choke, pull 3 times, disengage choke (even if you didn't hear a "pop") pull again - should start within a few pulls. If this doesn't work, I would go back to the dealer.

I tried that. No sale! :bang:

 

[1Alpha1]

There is only one proper way to start up a Stihl (goes for all of them) and it works. Mess it up and you're gonna flood it. Maybe you can get away with it in the summer and with some luck but wouldn't recommend it.


Read your manual. Im assuming the 261 isn't any different than the older versions.

1) Put in full choke (gas and witch down)
2) Crank until you hear a pop. Stop as soon as you hear it, even if its even one tiny pop.
3) Put it in high idle (one bump up from full choke)
4) Crank it, it should start in a pull or 2.
5) Blip the throttle to put it into idle (don't push the switch)

For warm start, put it into high idle. (choke and blip the throttle). If its hot its gonna fire without anything.


I love it when i see people say "i've been around 2 stroke engines for a while, this is unacceptable" ...//and then pour 2 stroke oil into the oil tank and expect the saw to make its own mix with the straight gas they poured in the gas tank ...//

I hope that you weren't referring to me, cause if you were, you can kiss my ass.

 

[stihlrookie]

When the saw is cold are you pushing the master control lever all the way down to full choke? It could pop on the first pull but really you should not need to pull more than 4 times to get it to pop. Are you hearing the pop and then moving the lever up one notch to what I call fast start? Once you move the lever off full choke, the lowest position of the lever, it should only take 2 or 3 tugs to get it to start. Motor runs at high idle in this setting once started, blip the throttle immediately to have the saw settle down to regular idle.

Start procedure for cold saw

1. Place master control lever in the lowest setting, full choke.
2. Pull starter rope briskly only until you hear the motor 'pop', do not keep pulling after the 'pop', should be no more than 4 pulls to get it to pop.
3. Move control lever up one notch to fast idle, half choke.
4. Pull starter rope until the saw starts, 2 or 3 tugs should do it.
5. Blip throttle immediately to settle the engine down to regular idle, blipping the throttle automatically moves the control lever up to the run position.
6. Do not move control lever until you are wanting to shut the saw off, move lever to the uppermost position to shut off.

You may just have a bad plug, even new plugs can be bad, I would swap it out and if you are still having issue after following the correct steps to start the saw return to the dealer.

 

[Ironworker]

You will get it to fire up right away after you own it for a while, just gotta figure out the code, for me it's full choke 2 or 3 pulls choke off and it fires right up after 1 or 2 pulls, the key is not to pull too many times with a full choke or she will flood, I use the same procedure with all my saws.

 

[alderman]

I've noticed some saws seem to be able to sit longer than others without needing to be choked. I'm not talking about hours, but I've some that require choking after sitting for less than 15 minutes after shutting them down. Others will surely flood if choked after this among of time but will start fine without using the choke.
On a cold start some saws just have their own combo as you have stated.

Good luck with that one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[1Alpha1]

When the saw is cold are you pushing the master control lever all the way down to full choke? It could pop on the first pull but really you should not need to pull more than 4 times to get it to pop. Are you hearing the pop and then moving the lever up one notch to what I call fast start? Once you move the lever off full choke, the lowest position of the lever, it should only take 2 or 3 tugs to get it to start. Motor runs at high idle in this setting once started, blip the throttle immediately to have the saw settle down to regular idle.

Start procedure for cold saw

1. Place master control lever in the lowest setting, full choke.
2. Pull starter rope briskly only until you hear the motor 'pop', do not keep pulling after the 'pop', should be no more than 4 pulls to get it to pop.
3. Move control lever up one notch to fast idle, half choke.
4. Pull starter rope until the saw starts, 2 or 3 tugs should do it.
5. Blip throttle immediately to settle the engine down to regular idle, blipping the throttle automatically moves the control lever up to the run position.
6. Do not move control lever until you are wanting to shut the saw off, move lever to the uppermost position to shut off.

You may just have a bad plug, even new plugs can be bad, I would swap it out and if you are still having issue after following the correct steps to start the saw return to the dealer.

Yup......been doing as you suggested. Sometimes, the saw won't even "pop" at all, no matter what position the master control lever is at.

Only after I pull the plug and clean it and dry out the combustion chamber, will it start.

I've started it about 10 times so far. A few times were easier than others. But, basically, it's still being a royal PITA to light off.

I just expected more from a saw at this level of pedigree.

BTW....I'm not even using the compression relief valve. It's no big deal to crank on it w/o using it.

 

[sunfish]

According to some members here, Stihl saws always crank and run perfect. :msp_rolleyes:

I'd have that one back to the dealer Monday morning...

 

[XSKIER]

Have you cut with your new MS261 yet? When I get a new toy I can get really excited too, and want to play with it a lot. I've noticed that my KM130 and MS441RCM don't like to be started and stopped. Those two units like to be run up to temp and then put away. If not run until hot, they seem to get "loaded" up and are more touchy for starting, throttle response, and wot performance. Also, without a load an air cooled two cycle won't make operating temp. Get your MS261 in the wood and then report back.

 

[fearofpavement]

Hope it is something simple but are you sure you don't have an engine problem like a scored piston? May be worth taking a look. Did you buy the saw new or used? Sometimes engine damage can cause the symptoms you are describing.

 

[albert]

Next time you start it, cut some wood. Seems like you are flooding the saw. Running a saw that has previously been flooded for a few minutes no load and not fully up to normal temp. will not clear all the excess fuel from the engine. Then next time you try to start it, particulary if it is not stone cold, and choke it, the saw will be easier to flood. So quit running it until you are ready to work it. The saw will thank you due to the rings will seat quicker and better if put it under load instead of just running it "in the air"

 

[indiansprings]

Sunfish has the right answer, we've prolly got about 30-35 261's out and we have yet to see one back in, mine usually take two pulls to get the pop, raise lever to run position and both fire right up.
About two weeks ago we had issues with the first new Stihl out of the box, in the roughly 30 years in being a Stihl dealer it was the first anyone had seen, it was a 311, same issues as your 261, called Stihl, they said put a new carb on it and be done. We installed a new carb and no issues, the owner has been happy as can be. Wish you were close, we'd warranty that baby in a heartbeat, if it hasn't been in wood, we would prolly try to just give you a new saw and it would be run in a test log and made dang sure it was 110% before it left.

 

[showrguy]

i'm not gonna say, what i really wanna say !!!!

 

[stihlrookie]

If you are having that much trouble and following the correct start procedure on your new saw, you need to take it in to the dealer. Something is obviously wrong, you should expect better for sure. Good luck.